Get in the Frame – December ’17

Well here it is, my final post for this little project. I’m lying when I call it little – this project was one of the most challenging things I’ve done photography wise. I’m not a person who loves or feels comfortable being in front of the camera so it was indeed a personal goal of mine to move past that and embrace this and I’m so glad I did. Instead of a year of very little photos of myself and zillions of my kids, I was left with many shots where I’m in the moment with my kids or hubby, not simply the one documenting it behind the scenes. And my one hope is they look back and remember those moments with joy. I didn’t shoot my family all of these weeks – again, something new for me – but part of my goal was to leave my girls with no just a legacy of us together but me accepting and loving myself, flaws and all. But enough of my thoughts, here is my December. Stay tuned at the end to see a collage of the entire year.

49 | 52

We headed to the coast for a night with some friends. December on the coast is hit or miss, but we certainly hit it juuuuuust right this visit. I adore the last shot where I’m out of focus because my 5 year old snapped this with my big camera, and she said she loves that the ocean was in focus. I think I have a mini creative on my hands.

50 | 52

My wonderful friend and fellow photographer Nicki Bergeson of Three Sisters Photography took some shots for me this week. My 3 year old talked about her “flower in milk and flowers” for weeks. I still tear up looking at these and already have one of them printed on my wall.

51 | 52

One again we headed to the coast, this time right after Christmas. These shots are fairly standard sit and smile shots, but who says each week needs to be a masterpiece? They have everyone I love in them so they’re masterpieces to me. A big thanks to my sweet friend Devin for snapping the first shot!

52 | 52

Perhaps it’s cheating a little since you see this shot was taken 1/4 (my first shot last year was taken the same day – so I think it counts haha!) but I thought this was the perfect way to end my project. My 5 year old shot this on an instax camera she got for Christmas, posing us just the way she wanted us and I simply adore it. Another photography group I’m in asked us last week to think of a word to guide them for 2018 and I came up with the word ‘present.’ Despite the tremendous growth I’ve had the last two years as a creative, get so bogged down by personal goals and projects (2 365’s, 2 freelensing projects, and of course this one). I’m not one to quit something I’ve started so it becomes too much at times. So for 2018 I simply want to shoot a bit less but with more intention, leaving me I hope with more time to be fully present with my family and myself. I want to put my phone away, sit down, and simply be with my kids and husband giving them my full attention (rather than half attention while quietly going over my after-they-go-to-bed to-do list in my head). This goal is going to be an everyday struggle in this multi-tasking busy world of ours, but this is what matters in the end.

I threw together a collage of most of the shots from the year. Still a bit surprised I managed to do this – can’t wait to make a book and tell stories to my girls.